Automatic liquid-fuel control.



E. E. WIOKERSHAM. AuTommo LIQUID rum. noNTaoL. APPLIOATIOH FILED JANJB.1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

I? wg A' E. E. WICKERSHAM. AUTOMATIO LIQUID FUEL CONTROL.

I APPLIOATIOB FILED JAILIB 1912.

Patelle Apr. 29, 1913.

2 sums-SHEET 2.

INVICN'LOR im arl? Wie/@wen 'ITNEBHEB:

I" 1 ounml GOLUlllA YLANOGIAFM @WAIHINGTOM D. L'.

BEST AVAILABLE ons UNITED STATES FFCE Emma E. wrciisasnam. or NEWMAN,cALrroaNIA.

AUTOMATIC LIQUID-FUEL CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 19i 3.

Application led January 18, 1912. Serial No. 671,828.

To all whom. it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Emma E. Wxcxtaasimu, a citizen of United States,.residing at Newman, in the county of Stanislaus ant State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticLiquid- Fuel Controls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic liquid fuel control.

The object of the present invention is to provideA a liquid fuel controlin combination with a steam generating plant.

The burning of crude oilj requires first, that it be thoroughlyatomized; and second, thoroughly su plied and mixed with a givenquantity o air to secure the best results and a maximum firingefficiency.

In many large steam power plants there are emploved boilers of differenthorsepower in tie one establishment.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to automaticallycontrol the volume of oil and steam for the vaporization of the samewhich is delivered to the furnaces of the several boilers irrespectiveof the differences in the horse-power of the boilers.

It is also an ob]ect of the invention to provide in an oil burning sstema master.

controlling device connecte to the main steam head and through saiddevice control the flow of liquid fuel, vaporizing steam and air as theyare admitted to the furnaces of tfhelboiler for the combustion of theliquid lrVhen boilers of different horse-power are used in steam plants,it is necessary that revision be made so that no one of the oilers willbe over or underfed with liquid fuel.

It is one of the important features of the invention to so regulate theadmission of liquid fuel and vaporizin steam that anv boilerirrespective of its orso-power wil always receive a given or definitequantity of fuel and vaporizing medium best adapted for each particularboiler.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully' described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying` drawings, 1n which- *igure 41 is adiagrammatic view yrepresentin the fuel controllin system as attache toa boiler plant. fig. 2 is a eeetioual detail view ot' a burnerequalizer.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of the secondary controller, D. Fig.4 is a part sectional view and part elevation of the master controllingdevice, C.

In the illustrated embodiment of mv invention I have shown at A apressure chamber, of suitable proportions, which is a i ropriatelyconnected to an oil pump to which oil may be conveyed from any suitablesource and from which it is delivered through the discharge pipe R to amanifold or header T, shown as extending along the front of a series ofboilers l and 2, which, for the purpose of this invention, shall beconsidered as of different horse-power as designated one hundred and twohundred res ectively.

team is admitted into the e ualizing pressure chamber A from a suita leform of master controller C, being provided with a hand-wheel B so thatthe apparatus may be adjusted to admit a greater or lesser uantity ofsteam into the' chamber A.

team is conducted to the master controller C Fig. 4, through a pipe 8which is connected to the main steam drum 4. Steam from the main drum orline 4 is conducted at full pressure into the master controller Cthrough which it may pass at reduced pressure into the equalizer A,thence to the pump and also from the equalizer A through a branch 6, aportion of which is conducted to a damper controller E which is actuatedto open the dempers I of the boilers by the pressure of steam fromchamber A passin through master controller C.

t each variation of pressure in the steam chamber A there is aconsequent movement 0f the iston-rod G of the damper controller la; thispiston-rod G bein connected to and actuating a rocker-shaft lx which hassuitable connections, as links H, rwith the several dempers I of thefurnaces.

Branching from the steam pi e 8 which feeds steam to the master controler C, there is a pipe 7 by which steam under full pressure from the main4 is admitted to a sccondary controller D of suitable character, thefunction of which is to reduce the pressure of steam coming from thepipe 7 so that the steam may be discharged from the controller D througha pipe P to a steam manifold S extending alon the front of the boilerssubstantially aral el with and are shown as above the oi manifold 'l.'lho operation of the |-iecondary controlling dovimltl sEsT Avaitastscos"r D is dependent upon variations of pressures in the steam chamberA; the controller D being connected to the branch 5 as shown sothatsteam from the` chamber A operates upon the mechanism of thesecondary controller Dwhieh determines the pressure of the steam issuingfrom the controller to the pipe P and through thisto lth'e'manifold S.nrotber words, after the master controller C has been adjusted by meansof the handwheel B steam is admitted from the main line 4 in which itmay exist at one hundred pounds pressure and the controller will thencut down the pressure of steam so that it will be admitted into thechamber A somewhat lower than in the main line 4.

The steam from the chamber A is operative upon the pump and the volumeof cil travelinl throu h the pipe R to the oil manifol T in ont of thefurnaces is naturally determined b the pressure of steam from thechamber For each and every variation of pressure in the chamber A thereis a constant variation in the volume of fluid discharged by the pump Y.

If there is a demand on the steam plant for. a considerable[quantityofsteam, there may be a momentary/reduction of the pressure in the mainline 4, and this reduction of the pressure iscompeiisated for bythemaster controller() which automatically operatesfto admita lar er volumeof steam to pass into the 'equalizing chamber A thus rivii'ig the pumpfaster to increase the suply of oil and conse uently increase the fireunder lthe boilers. imultaneously 'with the increase of pressure in thechamber A there will be an 'increase of pressure in the secondarycontroller D wiich will automatically operate to admit ay lar er volumeof steam to flow into the pi e and to the steam manifold S, vandcoincident with the increase of pressure in the pipe 5 from the chamberA the damper controller E will o crate and through its connections opentie dempers I for the flow of a larger volume of air.

The master controller, C, ma be of any appropriate character, and inFig. 3, I illustrate u construction suitable for the present purposes.This construction embodies a suitable casing upon which is mounted adiaphragm, 30, upon the top of which presses a ialancing spring 31, andby placing the steam pressure, balancing spring, on the top of thediaphragm, with the steam pressure beneath the diaphra m, which carriesthe throttle valve, 82, an stem, 83,1 am enabled to do away withstutiing boxes of movable 'arts and thereb 'eliminate' all excessiveriction. VThe spring 33, is made ad'ustable by any Awell known means',and a t readed v'al'ves'at, 85, is m'unted'withiii the casin and isadjustable bymeansofthehandwhee B,having a stem,ll,eiigngingthevalveseat..

By raising or lowering the valve seat, 35, the ctlect would be asfollows: The boiler pressure from the supply pipe, 3, connected to theinlet side of the master controller, C, would operate to hold thediaphragm, B0, and valve, 32, in a higher or lower plane to vary thequantity of steam passing through the controller without. making anyadjustment of the spring balancing steam pressure. The spring, 31, isadjusted to balance a certain percentage of the maximum boiler steam)ressure with the valve seat, B5, at. one ha f its maximum height. Anyfurther adjustment of the valve seat. in the nuistei Controller, C,determines the boiler steam pressure, the quantities of oil fed to theturiiucc, the atomizing of tbe steam, and the uantity of oxygen passingto the furnace tor combustion.

The secondary controller, D, may be ot' any suitable type and one ty iesuitable for the purpose I have shown in IFig. 4, as comprising twodiaphragms, 40, 41, which may e either of equal or unequal diameters,said diaphragms being s aeed aparty by a traveling push rod, 42. lhcdiaphragms are arranged to oppose each other and to vary the, positionof a cylindrical steam valve, 43. which has a stem, 44, which isconnected to the ush rod, 42, which in turn is connected to tiediaphragms. This stem serves as a push rod and it carries a collar, 44,which supports a lever, 45, one end of which is pivotally mounted andthe other end is connected to and held down by a suitable springtensioning device, 46. To vary the tension of the spring device, 46, inc'ect varies the diameters of the diaphragins; in other words the steampressures of the op osing sides ot' the diaphragms must be varied toeti'ect a balance of pressures on the opposite ends ot the push rod, 42,to move and bold the steam valve, 4B, open or closed.

Referring again to Fig. 1, and considering that the valves, 11 and 12,are wide open, the flame has started in the furnace and that there issteam pressure on the boilers. The hand wheel, B, on the mastercontroller, C, is adjusted to permit steam to pass through one pipe, 8,to the pressure chamber, A, and accumulate pressure enough therein tooperatc the oil pump, Y, to torce oil through the discharge pipe, R, tothe manifold, T. and finally to t ic furnace. Pressure in the chainllo`bei', A, has now operated through the 12o branch, 5, and the dam )ercontroller, E, to open the dainpers in tlhe stack. Pressure from thebranch 5, operates on top of the diaphragm, 40, of the secondarycontroller,

D, and through the push rod, 42, thc lower 12:.

dia ihragm, 4l, and the valve, 48, are operate in a downward directionto allow steam to pass through the pipes, 3 and 7, and the valve, 4B, toexert an upward pressure on the bottom of tbc lower diaphragm, fil, andi f accumulate a pressure in thepipes, Pand S,J

greater or less than the downward pressures exrted by the top diaphragm,40,- andpiisli ro ,42. f.

I will now consider that the boiler steam pressure has risen above itsformer pressure and exerts a greater upward pressure on the diaphragm,30, in the master-..eontroller,.C, thus closing the valve, 32, artly,and reducing the steam pressure in tie pressure chamber, A, which willeil'ect the damper controller E, to close the dempers, correspondingly,also to reduce the downward pressure on top of the diaphragm, 5&0, ofthe secondary controller, D, allowing an u ward movement ot bothdiaphragme und va ves to partly close the valve and to reduce the upwardpressure t0 a point equal tothe downward ressure. rlhe partial closinnof the valve inthe mastercontroller depletes the supply of steam to thepum IY, and consequent y reduces the'tlow o oil to the furnace at thesame time the above pressures were bein decreased.

From tie foregoing it will be seen that for'every reduction of pressureof steam in the main line 4 from any cause the master controllerCwillinstantly res ond automatically to admit a greater vo ume of steam tothe chamber A, and from thence to the boiler and the secondarycontroller D for admitting more steam to the boilers, and to the dampercontroller E for permitting a Greater volume of air to flow through theurnace; this simultaneous operation being designed to most elilcientlyand rapidly build up or decrease the fire by admitting given pro oitionsof air, steam and oil as the immet inte necessity requires.

When there are several boilers of different horsepower located in asteam plant, it is necessary that the volume of steam, oil and air ineach of the several boilers be in exact proportions to the capacity ofthe boilers and if some means were not provided for s o controlling andproportioning the steam, oil and air for each boiler according to itsret uiremcnts, the boilers would be either overtied or undcrfed withgreat destructive consequences and loss of efliciency. To' that end animportant feature of the invention is thc provision of means wherebyeach boiler, though different in horse power, will receive the mostetlicicnt uantity of oil, steam and air at all times; t e pressures ofthe same being automatically controlled by the apparatus hereinbeforedescribed. I have ound in actual practice that this determination of thesteam and oil taken from the manifolds S and '1 can be minutely,accurately and constantly regulated as each case n ecessitates by theintroduction of a connection 10, shown in Fig. 2, of which there/is oneconnected at each end of the burners V, into which oil and steam areconducted respectively through tlie connections 10; these being coupled-to u per and lower valves 11 kandilQ respective y which control theflow of steam'from the pipe S into the burner V; the lower valve 12controlling the flow of oil from-1 thefmanifold '1 into the burner.

r The interposition of the Ipeculiar connectionsflOfbetween the valves11 and 12 and theburner V insures that once t-he valves havebeen openedwide for the admission of fluid at full pressure from the manifolds Sand T, the operator need no lonffer watch oi' adjustl the valves, sincethe dacviccs 10 e'ectually control and deliver to the burner V definitequantities of oil or steam.

The devices 10 are clearly shown as hav` ing contracted channels 13 atone end conimunicating with enlarged channels 14 which open into theburner V. Since each ol the manifolds S and '.l are charged with steamor oil respectively at given or varyin pressures, an then if the valves11 an 12 he thrown wide open oil or steam will have access to itsrespective connection 10 and may flow through the restricted orifice orchannel 13 only in restricted or definite proportions.

In the case of the one hundred horsepower boiler a connection 10 is usedwhich will deliver steam or oil in certain quantities to the burner B,and in the case of the two hundred horse-power boiler a connection 10will be used in which the restricted orifice 13 will be, for instance,twice the transverse area of the'equalizing orifice of the smallerboiler. Thus each of the boilers whatever their respective horse-powermay bc will be fed with a predetermined quantity of oil or steam whichmust flow to the burners through the equalizing connections 10, eachbeing provided with a restricted channel, as 13.

Manifestly for every variation of ressiirc in the manifolds S or T therewil be an increase in the volume of fluid travelinr through theconnections 10, but there wi l be no requirement for any adjustment ofthe valves l1 or 12 since these may he opened to their fullest extent,and the attention of the operator is no longer required inasmuch as thecqluulizing devices 10 will constantly control tie volume of oil orsteam, as the case may be, tiowing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. In an oil burning system, the combination withsteam boilers, of hydrocarbon burners under the boilers, a mastercontroller for automatically operating to maintain la given pressure inthe boilers and deriving steam therefrom, said controller havingmanually adjustable parts, and means governed by the controller forsynchronously varying the quantity of oil, air and steam utilized at'the boilers foricombustion said means including a distributing,equ'alizing chamber i'nto which steainis delivered by the controller, anoil pump operated byl steam from said chamber and connected to theburners by feed pipes, a damper mechanism for the boilers operative bsteam from said distributing chamber, an a steam-feeding deviceconnected tothe burners and connected to said chamber Jfor operation' byvariable pressures therein, said damper, pump and steamfeeding deviceautomatically operating under variations of pressure of steam from theequaliziug chamber in which the pressure is varied inversel by thecontroller as to the variation of boiier pressure.

2. In an oil burning system, the combination with steam boilers, ofhydrocarbon bui'ners under the boilers, a master controller forautomatically operating to maintain a given pressure in the boilers andderiving steam therefrom, said controller having nianuallyvadjustableparts, and means governed by the controller for synchronously varyingthe quantity of oil, air and steam utilized at the boilers forcombustion, said means including a distributing, equalizing chamber intowhich steam is delivered by the controller, an oil pump operated bysteam -from said chamber and connected to the burners by feed pipes, adamper mechanism for the boilers operative by steam from saiddistributing chamber, a'steam-feeding device connected to the burnersand connected to said chamber for o eration by variable pressurestherein, said damper, ump and steamfeeding device automatieal yoperating under variations of pressure o steam from the equalizingchamber in which the pressure is varied inversely by the 'controller asto the variation of boiler pressure, and restrictive elements peculiarto each boiler for admitting thereto from the oil feed pipes a quantityproportionate to the boiler size and to admit variable quantitiesproportionate to variable pressure from the master controller.

3'. In a liquid fuel control for steam plants, the combination with oilburners, of a steam conductor connected to the burners andiderivingsteam'from the boiler for conveying steam for atomizing oil at theburners, a regulator in said conductor havingr manually adjustable meanswhereby a dcsired ratio ot' steam to burners in proper* tion to oil iseffected, said regulator having diaphragms, one of which is exposed toboiler pressure from the conductor, a master controller having manuallyadjustable means for operating to maintain a iven boiler pressure, andhaving a steam in et from the plant boilers and an outlet for steam,said regulator havin a piston exposed to pressure of steam rom theoutlet of the controller for varyin the steam to burner synchronouslywith c anges of pressure in the plant boilers, a pump for feeding oil tothe urners and operated by steam nom the controller, and a draftcontrolling mechanism for the plant operated by steam from thccontroller, said controller being operated by increase of steam pressurein the plant to decrease steam to said pump, mechanism and regulator,and operating automatically to increase steam to said parts when boilerpressure decreases.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

ELMER E. VICKERSHAM.

Vitnesses:

H. E. Ross, E. R. DXXEN.

Copies of this patent mayv be obtained for Ave centseaoh, by addressingthe Commissioner ot Patents,

